Gaels tie series with 2-1 win over Carleton

March 1, 2014

Queen’s Golden Gaels ended a five-game playoff losing streak against Carleton Friday night, handing the visiting Ravens a 2-1 defeat in an Ontario University Athletics East division semifinal game at the Memorial Centre.

The teams go back to Ottawa Sunday to decide the best-of-three series, now tied 1-1.

Queen’s has been eliminated from the playoffs by Carleton twice in the last four years, and the Gaels were humbled 6-2 in the first game of the series Wednesday in Ottawa. They earned a better fate Friday, however, as goaltender Kevin Bailie made 35 saves and Queen’s killed all three Carleton power plays.

A power-play goal by defenceman Chris Van Laren just 56 seconds into the second period opened scoring, and though the Gaels were unsuccessful on three consecutive power plays before the period ended, the score stood at 1-0 until the final minute of the game, when Andrew Wiebe scored what proved to be the game-winning goal into an empty net.

Carleton’s Mitch Porowski scored to spoil Bailie’s shutout bid 24 seconds later but in the final 16 seconds the Ravens were denied the equalizer.

The loss was the first suffered by Carleton since Nov. 30. It ended a 16-game winning streak.